Get Your Home Ready For Sale

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Posted by: Claire Belby on Wednesday, April 1, 2015 at 12:00:00 am

Get Your Home Ready For Sale

REALTORS® agree on two tenets of a quick sale: a house that is priced appropriately and one that shows exceptionally well. Having your home show worthy before that first potential buyer walks through the door is critical, and easier than you might think. If your budget is tight, don’t worry. There are a few easy steps that require little or no investment.

Declutter. It can’t be said enough. If your kitchen and bathroom countertops are covered in stuff, the house screams, “There’s not enough room in here!” Leave just the essentials in the bathroom and hang clean white towels for a spa feel. Remove all but the most logical appliances from the kitchen counters. Don’t ignore the closets either; remove items so that the space feels larger and more useable. Declutter cabinets; a serious buyer will open them. Consider a short-term lease on a storage unit for larger pieces.

Depersonalize. Your home doesn’t need to look like a hotel or museum, but you could remove some personal photos and mementos so potential buyers can imagine the place as theirs.

Neutralize. True neutralizing probably means painting. If that’s reasonable and needed to update the home, your REALTOR® might recommend it. If painting is not realistic, maybe coordinate window treatments, pillows and other accessories in the room to get a cohesive look.

Organize your space. Make sure spaces are clearly defined and logical. A desk in the bedroom or a child’s playset in the breakfast nook sends the wrong message. REALTORS® are great at this. You haven’t noticed that it’s odd to have a craft area occupying the corner of your dining room because it’s been there forever! An experienced REALTOR® will spot that on their first walk through.

Clean. If would-be buyers see you haven’t taken care of this basic step before showing your home, they will wonder what else you’ve ignored.

People go to great lengths to stage and prep their homes for sale. Many times that is necessary and your agent can guide you on what’s needed. But simple steps like these are powerful too. Chances are if you present your home as the one you’ve loved, someone else will love it too.